The present invention relates in general to an electrical terminal permanently attached to the end of an insulated wire, and more specifically to crimped wire terminals for low current and low voltage applications.
Crimped terminals are widely used for terminating multiconductor insulated wires. The terminal comprises a flat metal blank including pairs of wing projections for gripping an electrical wire. One pair of projections grips an insulated portion of the wire and another pair of projections grips a stripped conductor portion at the end of the wire. The insulator grips stabilize the terminal and protect the electrical interconnection between the stripped conductor and the conductor grips.
Nevertheless, in-use conditions experienced by a terminal (such as flexing of the wire, vibration and thermal shocks, or jostling of the terminal) cause forces to be transmitted to the conductor grips. Over time, the conductor grip may weaken and begin to move.
Conductor grip weakening is especially a problem in low current and low voltage applications where continuous, firm contact between the wire strands and the conductor grips is critical. A weakened conductor grip may cause increased resistance or intermittent contact, which is most likely to occur at low current or low voltage levels.